Lifecycle status
Where a tracked contract currently sits in its renewal cycle, from active through the notice window to notice given, expired or cancelled.
Also known as: Lifecycle state, Renewal status
A lifecycle status is the stage a tracked software contract has reached in its own renewal cycle. Rather than a single date, it is a state that moves as the calendar does: active while the term runs, upcoming and then due soon as the renewal approaches, inside the notice window when a keep-or-cancel decision has to be made, and notice missed once that window has closed on a contract that will now roll over.
Recording a status alongside the dates is what turns a register into a worklist. A date tells you when something happens; a status tells you whether anyone has acted on it. In StackTrackr most states are derived from the renewal date, the notice period and whether the contract auto-renews, while trial, notice given, cancelled and expired are set by hand and take precedence, because a decision a person has made should never be overwritten by arithmetic.
Related terms
- Software asset management (SAM)The practice of tracking an organisation's software licences, subscriptions, costs, and compliance across their whole lifecycle.
- ShelfwareSoftware an organisation has paid for but does not use, whether unused seats or whole subscriptions nobody owns.
- Billing cycleHow often a subscription is charged, monthly, quarterly or annually, which sets both when the cash leaves and the multiplier needed to compare tools.